Reporter, boss disagree over whether Gator hat led to firing

The Arkansas radio announcer who was fired for wearing a Gator hat to an Arkansas football press conference said Wednesday she believes she was let go because Arkansas athletic officials told her station they would no longer allow her to cover the team's practices, hampering her ability to do her job.

Renee Gork said that's the reason she was told she was fired, but her former general manager Dan Storrs said the decision was based on more than the Gator hat incident, which has drawn national attention.

Both appeared on The Dan Patrick Show today, giving conflicting reports of what really happened. Gork reiterated that she never intended any disrespect towards Petrino or the Arkansas program.

“I’m not the type of person (to create a scene),'' Gork said. "I respect coach Bobby Petrino and don’t know him very well, but that would not have been my way of trying to get to know him better. … It was raining, I wasn’t even thinking about it and I put the hat on, plain and simple.”

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Florida Gators fans, welcome to the Gator Report for all your news about Gators football, basketball and all UF sports. It's written by University of Florida beat writer Antonya English and the staff of the Tampa Bay Times. We invite your comments and participation.